Signaling system



Aug.' 12, 1930. c. E. LoMAx SIGNALING SYSTEM Filed May 31. 1928 2Sheets-Sheet 1 PCI C. E. LQMAX SIGNALING SYSTEI 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 :medmay 31. 192sI Imrennr' E laIEnIEEL :Imax /fmfw Hug Aug; 12, 1930.

STATION Patented Aug. 12, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" CLARENCEE.LOHAX, OI' OAI-PARI, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO RESERVE dH-01' 41) I|IR'GOOI- PANY, OF, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION I' DELAWARESIGNALING SYSTEH Application led lay 31, 1328. Serial lo. 281,721.

The present invention relates in general to signaling systems, but isparticularly concerned with the provision o equipment suitable for useas a lire alarm system. The system herein disclosed is of the samecharacter as that disclosed in my application, Serial No. 174,449, filedMarch 11, 1927 British patent No. 302,409, andon which this applicationis a direct improvement.

My new invention contains all of the features of my previousapplication. In addition, it contains features which provide for theturning in of an alarm from the re alarm box, even though the positiveside of the line connecting that box with the central station be open,and which provide for the turning in of an alarm from the supervisorsosition, regardless of the line condition o the alarm box whose codeisto be sent; that is,

even though one or both sides of the line are o en.

1:,The foregoing features and others not specifically mentioned arelattained by the equipment disclosed in the accompanying 25. drawingscomprisin Figs. 1 and 2.

In order to consi er the system as a whole, Fig. 2 should be placed atthe right of Fig. 1, with the corresponding lines in alignment. In Fig.1 is shown a iire alarm station or box designated as No. 47 having theequipment shown diagrammatically within the dotted rectangle.

This box, or station, is of the usual type, wherein contacts arenormally held in an actuated position under sprin tension by a pane ofglass in the face of t e box and are released by the breaking of theglass to turn in an alarm.

At the central or supervisory station, each line terminates in a relaygroup individual to it; for instance, the relay group RGl is individualto the line terminating in alarm box'No. 47.

At the lower right-hand corner of Fig. 1 is a relay 18 which is termedan open main relay and which is common to all lines of the system. Thepurpose of this relay will be explained subsequently.

At the left side of Fi 1 and included with- 5 in the dotted rectang esdesignated Position 1 and Position 2 are shown the supervisory andtestin equipments. Each of these equipments includes keys for makingvarious tests of the line conditions and of the equipment shown in Fig.2, and also includes a pair of lam s individual to each line terminatingin a re ay group such as RGL One of these lamps is for giving troubleindications, while the other indicates that the corresponding stationhas turned in an alarm.

The equipment of Fig. 1 is inter-connected with the common equipmentshown in Fig. 2, which equipment consists in the main of a code senderswitch CS, the relay group RG2 which controls the function and operationof the code 'sender switch, and a code cut-off switch CCS whichdetermines the number of times the code will be transmitted before it iscut oil. A pair of ordinary bells, B and B', are indicated as thesignaling devices responsive to the various codes, A cross-connectingblock CCB is also rovided for the purpose of connecting up a ditionalfire station lines, removing exlstin ones, and also changing the codesof existing fire stations, should occasion re uire.

The apparatus aving been described in general, its operation will now beexplained in detall with reference to the hereinbefore mentioneddrawings.

It will be assumed that a person has discovered a fire somewhere in thevicinity of fire alarm box No. 47 and, therefore, breaks the glass inthe face of the box to send in an alarm. The breaking of the glassreleases spring 3 and permits it to assume an alternate position inconnection with its grounded back contact and also cuts the resistance Xin the series circuit of relay 5 and 15.

This circuit ordinarilyextends from battery, windin of rela3 15,normally closed contacts of icy K1 osition 2, normally closed contactsof key K1 Position 1, conductor 2, normally closed contacts 3,*conductor1, windin of relay 5, normally closed contacts of key 3 Position 2, toground through normally closed contacts of Key K3 Posltion 1.

The resistance of the winding of relay 15 is much higher than that ofthe relay 5. Therefore, when the resistance X is inserted 1n series withthese relays, the current flow is reduced sufficiently to cause marginalrela 5 to restore, while re ay 15 remains energize Relay 5, at spring 4and it ground restin contact, completes a circuit for the signal ampsA47, causing them to glow and indicate that an alarm has been turned infrom box 47.

Ground is also transmitted from the spring 4 of relay 5 over the springand resting contact of rela 17, s ring 9 and working contact, to the wining o relay 16 and battery, causing this latter relay to also operate.Relay 16, upon operating, completes a circuit from ground on its spring,its working contact, sprin 8 and its workm contact, upper winding orelay 6, and sprmg 20 and its resting contact of the open main relay 18to battery. There is ground on the spring of relay 16 either becausestation 47 represents the first of a number of lines, or because ofground bo ing applied to it through series contacts of re ayscorresponding to relay 16.

Relay 6 operates in the above-traced circuit and completes a lockingcircuit for itself and an energizing circuit for relay 18 as follows:spring 4 and grounded resting contact of relay 5, spring and rest-ingContact of relay 17, spring 13 and working contact of relay 6 lowerwinding of relay 6, and the winding o relay 18 to battery.

Relay 18 operates in this circuit and, upon operating, at its spring 20removes battery from the upper wmdin of relay 6, and at its spring 19and its wor ring contact applies ground to conductor 2l to start thecode switch CS. This ground extends over the conductor 21, through theresting contact and spring of relay 54, spring 56 and working contact ofrelay 55, and the winding of relay 30 to battery.

Diverting our attention now to the operation of the code sender, it willbe seen that responsive to the closure of the circuit just traced relay30 operates. This relay at its spring 41 closes the circuit at thatpoint. of the code pick-up wiper 44, at its spring 39 prepares alockingcircuit for itself through the wiper 45 which becomes associatedwith the grounded contacts of its bank as soon as the code switch movesoil' normal, at its springs 42 and 43 closes at those points the circuitof the code control relay 34, and at its s ring 40, completes anenergizing circuit for tile slow-to-release relay 31. The circuit ofthis relay extends via grounded working contact and spring 40, springand resting contact of the motor magnet 37 of the code switch. spring 68and resting contact of relay 34, and the winding of relay.31 to battery.

Relay 31, upon operating, completes a. circuit for motor magnet 37,causing it to ener gize and break the previously described circuit forslow-to-release relay 31. This relay an instant later restores and opensthe energizing circuit of magnet 37, causing the switch to advance onestep. The restoration of magnet 37 causes the circuit of rela 31 to becompleted again. It will be seen rom this that the motor magnet 37 willcause the associated wi rs 44 and 45 to be advanced in a clock-wiseirection due to the inter-action of motor magnet V37 and slow-to-releaserelay 31. This inter-action continues until the wiper 44 encounters thetens contact corresponding to the tens digit of the station from whichan alarm has been turned in; in the present instance, this di it is 4and is desi nated as contact 63 in t e bank of the co e sender.

When the wiper 44 encounters the bank contact 63,` ground is transmittedfrom the grounded contact and spring 40 of relay 30, through wiper 44,bank contact 63, the associated jumper of the cross-connecting block,conductor 67, spring 11 and its front contact, conductor 26, conductor23, working contact and sprin 43 of relay 30, the winding of codecontrol re ay 34, and the associated resistance to battery. The relay34, upon operating, at its spring 35 connects the code signal relay 38with t e working contact of motor magnet 37 so that each time magnet37operates relay 38 -will operate to send out a portion of the selectedcode. Relay 34 also at its spring 68 breaks the initial operatin circuitof slow-torelease relay 31 and comp etes the circuit for slow-to-releaserelay 33. Relay 33 in turn completes a circuit for slow-tolrelease relay32 which, in turn, completes a circuit for the slow-to-release relay 31.

The purpose of introducing the additional rela s 32 and 33 in thecircuit at this time is to s ow up the o eration of the code senderwhile it is actually sending a code, as it will readily be seen thatnow, before the circuit of the magnet 37 lcan be broken, all three ofthe relays 33, 32, and 31 must be restored. The delay in introducing therelays 32 and 33 into the controlling circuit of the. code sender to betransmitted` until the code is actuall enables the lapse of time tweenthe time the alarm is turned in and the time when the code is started tobe kept at a minimum.

The inter-action of magnet 37 and relays 33, 32, and 31 continues untilthe wi r 44 arrives at its bank contact 62, at whic time the relay 38will have been operated four times. When this occurs, ound istransmitted from the wiper 44 via conductor 24, working contact andspring 42, and the winding of relay 34. This ground shunts battery fromrelay 34, causing it to restore to` disconnect the alarm control relay38 from control of the motor magnet of the code switch, and is for thepurpose of'introducing a delay between the transmission of the first andsecond digits of the code.

When the wiper 44 arrives at its bank contact 61, ground is transmittedby way of conductor 23, working contact and spring 43, to

the other terminal of relay 34 so that relay is ag l'ain energized toance associated with relay 34 andto thevrelay tact of relay 6.

34, causing that relay to be shunted out as before. f

As s'oon as the wiper 44 arrives at the contact 64, an impulse istransmitted to the motor magnet 48 of the code cut-off switch CCS, whichadvances its wipers 46 and 47 as soon as 'the wiper 44 leaves thecontact 64.

The relay grou RG2 of the code sending switch and the co e sendingswitch itself are now in the same position as when the relay 30 wasfirst energized. Therefore, the code switch is 'again operated toretransmit the code previously transmitted. By the transmission of eachcode the foregoing described circuit for motor ma net 48 oflthe codecutoff switch is operate After the particular code has been repeated anumber of times corresponding to the number of steps required for theWiper 47 of the code cut-off switch to encounter its bank contact 57,the circuit is completed for relay 50 over conductor 58. Relay 50, uponoperating, at its spring 52 connects ground to the bank contacts of.wiper 46 through the winding of slow-to-release relay 49. This latterrelay completes a locking circuit for relay 50 at its lower spring,which circuit is maintained .as lon as wiper 46 encounters ground.

' e motor magnet 48 now interrupts its own circuit and the wipers 46 and47 are advanced to their normal position as shown, and relay 49 thenrestores and. opens the locking circuit of relay 50 which also restores.

Coming back to what takes place when relay 50 operates, that relay, inaddition to closin the restoring circuit of the code cut- 'of switch andcausing its restoration, at its spring 51 connects ground to theconductor 22 which, in turn, is connected at this time to the winding ofrelay 17 *by wa of con-- ductor 25 and the s ring 14 and wor ing conherelay 17`now operates and at its spring and back contact opens thecircuit of relay 16 and the locking circuit of relay 6 and the open4main relay 18, Vand at its front contact completes a locking circuit foritself.` D ue precaution is taken to insure the locking up of relay 17through its spring and Working contact before its energizing circuit isbroken by the restoration of relay 6, this being readily accomplished bythe proper adjustment of the affected armatures. Relay 6, uponrestoring, places the line equipment associated with station No. 47 inits initial condition so far as the code sending control circuits areconcerned. When the switch 3 at station 47 is restored to normal, relay5 is again ener` ized and it disconnects round from the loc g circuit ofrelay 17.

is latter relay, therefore, also restores. Relays 16 and 18, uponrestoring, vrestore the normal battery and ground condition 'of thecommon circuits so that if any other station has turned in an alarm itscode'will now be transmitted. If that is the case, open main .relay 18again operates from another relay group associated with another restation over a circuit similar to that' pro-A vided for it by the relaygroup RGl, ground being removed from the operatin'g circuits of allrelays preceding it corresponding to relay 6 by the associated chaincontact of the relay corresponding to 16, vand the battery being removedfrom al1 relays following it corresponding to the relay 6 as more fullyshown in the above mentioned British patent.

Since only one relay corresponding to relay 6 can be operated at a time,only one line can control the code sender at a time because when anyrelay corresponding to 16 is operated, all the other correspondingrelays, although, operable, are rendered ineffective until t e code inprocess of transmission has been completely transmitted. This, however,does not in any way prevent the individual line `signal corresponding toA47 op erating, so that if a supervisor yis observing iving an alarmregardless of the number eing turned in at the time.

If in any case an alarm is turned in over a line which isshort-circuited, no harm results because Arelay 5, for instance, is notfully 'dependent upon the resistance X to cause it to restore. Instead,that rela will be short-circuited by ground supplie to it from thealternate contact of spring 3 and the code will be transmitted in themanner intended.

In case the alarm circuit should o open at an time, both relays 5 and 15wi be restore The relay 15, in addition to giving the usual visual alarmfor the stat-ion which is defective, at its spring 8 opens its ownbranch of the chain circuit, thereby preventing the transmission of thecode and at its spring 7 and its resting contact closes the circuit forthe trouble lamp T47, individual to that station, so that the supervisoris advised that there is a case of trouble. At its spring 9 relay 15opens the circuit of relay 16 so that this relay will not operate fromground on spring 4 of relay 5 and revent any other station fromcontrolling the code sender.

If it is the positive side, conductor 1, of the line which is open, analarm may be ioo the visual signals, there need be no delay in any otherstation terminatin turned in from station'47,'for when switch 3 assumesits alternate position, ground will be placed upon conductor 2 andrelayV 15 will be operated. Thus, with relay op'- erated and relay 5deenergized, the condition will be the same as 'if resistance'X had beeninserted in the circuit of rela s 5 and 15 to cause the deener izationof re ay 5.

Either supervisor at the Positions 1 and 2 may sendgin an alarm forstation 47, or

in those positions, regardless of the line condition. This is done bythe operation of either key K1. If the line is in normal condition, theoperation of either key K1 inserts the corresponding resistance X1 inthe circuit of relays 5 and 15 to deenergize relay 5 to start the codesender as before described.

If either side, or both sides, of the line is, or are, open, the relays5 and 15 will both deenergize, as said before. Therefore, the operationof either key K1 will connect ground to the windin relay 15 to causethat relay to operate an condition the relay group RGl for starting thecode sending switch.

If either of the supervisors at any time desires to test the codeequipment to see whether or not it is functioning properly for anparticular line, either one may operate tlie key K1, individual to theparticular line that might be doubtful, and cause the code sendingequipment to function in the same vmanner as if an alarm had been turnedin from that particular station. On the other hand, if it is desired totest the various'trouble and fire lamps to see if there is any troublewith them or their circuits, either key K3 will be operated. Theoperat-ion of either key K3 removes ground from all the relayscorresponding to 5 and 15, and accordingly the trouble lamps of allstations will be lighted if everything is in proper condition. If anyone of the lamps fails to light, the supervisor will know that there isa case of trouble. At the vsame time key K3 also places ound onconductor 59 to energize slow re ay 54 which at its contacts opens apoint in the energizing circuit of relay 30 to prevent the operation ofthe code sender CS.

If the code sending switch becomes defec# tive, either supervisor mayoperate the associated key K2, causing relay 55 to deenergize to'substitute another code sender for the defedive one. Relay 55 is keptunder test at all times so that should it become defective it willVautomatically substitute another code sender for the one shown in thedrawing, thus decre the possibility of a supervsors bein una le tochange senders, if desired.

Irom the foregoing, it will be appreciated that I have designed a firealarm system which is an improvement over that system covered by myco-pending application by providing ways in which alarms may be turnedin from a station even though the ppsitive side of the line may be openand om any supervisors position regardless of the line condition.

What I consider new and desire to have protected b Letters Patent ispointed out in the appen ed claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a signaling system, a lire alarm station, a central oiiice, anormally closed two conductor circuit comprising a positive and anegative conductor connecting the station with the ollice, a pair ofrelays in said circuit, one connected to each of said conductors, saidrela s energized when the circuit is closed and eenergized when thecircuit is open, means at the station for causing the deenergizationofthe relay in said positive conductors while thecircuit is closed andcausing the energization of the relay in said negative conductor whilethe positive conductor of the'circuit is open, equipment at the oiceresponsive to the deenergization of the 'positive conductor relay in onecase and theenergization of the negative conductor relay in the othercase for sending a coded signal, and'means at the oiiice for causing thedeenergization of the positive conductor relay while said circuit isclosed and for causing the energization of the negative conductor relaywhile either or both conductors of the circuit are open to cause saidequipment to send the coded signal.

2. Ina signalin system, a fire alarm station, a central o ce havingequipment for sending the coded signal of that station, a normallyclosed line circuit connecting the station with the oiiice, a pair ofrelays normally energized in the circuit for controlling' the operationof the equipment, means at the station for deenergizing one of saidrelays when turning in an alarm signal under normal conditions to causethe operation of the equipment to send the coded signal, meansresponsiveto a case of trouble on said lines for deenergizing both of said relaysso that said code equipment cannot operate, and a supervisors positionhaving means for turning in an alarm while there is trouble in saidcircuit by duplicating normal line conditions in the oilice.

3. In a signaling system, a. fire alarm station, a central office havingequipment for sending the'coded signal of that station, a

normally closed two-conductor line circuit connecting the station withthe oilice, a pair -of relays at the oilice for controllin the operationof the equipment, said re ays normally energized in said circuit, meansat the station for inserting a resistance in said circuit and forgrounding one conductor of said circuit to deenergize one of said relayswhen turning in an alarm signal under normal conditions to cause theoperation of said equipment to send the coded signal, means responsiveto a case of trouble in said circuit outside said oice for deenergizingboth of said relays so that said code equipment cannot operate and asupervisors position hav-` ing means for turning in an alarm while thereis trouble in said circuit by grounding one side of the circuit in theoilice to dup icate normal line conditions therein. y

. 4. In a signalin system, a firm alarm station, a central o ce havinlequipment for sendin th' coded signal o thatv station, a norma y closedline circuit connecting the station with the oice, a pair of relaysnormally energized, in the circuit for' controlv ling the operationofthe equipment, means in the station for deenergizing one of said relayswhen turning in an alarm signal under normal conditions to cause theoperation of the equipment to send the coded signal, means responslve toa case of trouble on said line for deenergizing both of said relays sothat said code equipment cannot operate, a supervisors position havingmeans for turning in `an alarm while there is trouble in said cir-- cuitb duplicating normal line conditions in the o ce', and a signal at saidposition operffA ated by one of sald relays to indicate said trouble.

5. In a signaling system, a fire alarm station(i a central oilice, anormally closed two- 55 signal to sa con uctor circuit comprising. apositive vand a negative conductor connecting said station with saidolice, a relay at said oilice connected to said positive conductor andanother relay connected to said negative conductor, means at saidstation for normally maintaining said relays energized when said circuitis closed, means responsive to the sending in of an alarm to' saidstation for deener ing 40 ,said positive conductor relay whiley saldcircuit 1s closed and for holdin said negative conductor rela energized'w ile said osit-ive conductor 1s open, equipment at sai officeresponsive to the operation of said relays for transmitting a codedsignal corresponding to said station, means responsive to a break insaid positive conductor when. said station is at normal for deenergizingsaid negative conductor relay to operate a trouble signal at saidoilice, and means in said oiice for causing the deenergization of saidpositive conductor relay and the energization of said negative conductorrelay to cause said equipment to send out the coded i station. Inwitness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 29th da of May, A. D.1928. CLAR NGE E. LOMAX.

